13 Reasons Why I Fell in Love with Japan

May 30, 2012 / By NomadicMatt

Last month, I toured Japan for three weeks with G Adventures. As you know, I was very excited. I had high expectations for a country that I had for years dreamed about seeing. And when you have high expectations, you can be easily disappointed. But Japan didn’t disappoint — it exceeded my expectations. I loved Japan! Loved it beyond anything I expected. The food, the people, the architecture, the culture — it was bliss. Just how much did I love it? Let me count the ways:

Temples and Zen GardensThe temples of Japan are beautiful. The bells, the Zen gardens, the bamboo, and the torii gates really do instill a sense of peace and serenity. I’m going to create one of these for my future home.

Sushi Sushi was one of the things I was most looking forward to eating while in Japan. After all, Japan is the birthplace of sushi. Even the worst sushi I had was still as good as the average sushi I’ve had elsewhere in the world. The sushi trains (those little conveyer-belt sushi shops) even had great toro (high-quality tuna)! And the best sushi? The Michelin star, drain-your-wallet kind? So good, it makes you cry tears of joy. The flavor, the soft texture, the moist rice — heaven.

Politeness I couldn’t get over how amazingly polite everyone was. People went out of their way to be helpful. While getting lost looking for my Couchsurfing host, a guy walked me all the way to the address to make sure I got there. A security card who spoke no English just walked me to the ATM because he couldn’t explain the directions. There was always an offer of helpfulness at the slightest indication of confusion. There was always an apologetic “sorry” — even the signs, when letting people know something was not allowed, began with “sorry.” There is simply a courtesy and helpfulness that permeates the soul of Japan.

Friendliness The woman who ran out of her house to talk to our tour group. The man who let everyone take 1,000 pictures of his dog. The college students to whom I gave English lessons. The owner of the noodle shop who spoke no English but wanted to have a fake game of baseball with me when I told him I was American. The old couple who just smiled at me while I ate at their sushi restaurant and gave me a thumbs up every time I said oishii (“delicious” in Japanese). The man who helped me place my order in Japanese and was shocked when I knew the names of fish in Japanese. Everyone was just helpful and genuinely friendly.

Boyfriend/Girlfriend “Service” While in Osaka, my Couchsurfing host took me to the nightlife area and we did a little people-watching. There on the street were young men and women dressed in bad pop-star outfits chasing down rich men and women in order to be their “friend for the night.” And I don’t mean in a hooker way. They are simply paid for their company (and even bought stuff!). Weird, right? How come no one pays me to hang out with them? Apparently, they earn up to $1,000 USD for this per night, and there’s no expectation of sex at all! This makes the list for one reason: it’s fascinating. Talk about something that is culturally Japanese! I could sit there on the street with some popcorn and watch as girls and boys dressed like anime characters chase after sugar daddies and mamas who might buy them drinks or bad outfits.

Bullet Trains Bullet trains cut nine-hour journeys down to 2.5 hours. That’s what more of the world needs. Spacious, clean, fast, and semi-perfect — they just need Wi-Fi and electrical outlets.

Sidewalk Vending Machines You are never more than 10 feet from a vending machine in Japan. Everywhere you look, two or three machines are lined up to give you everything you need — beer, sake, water, tea — to quench your thirst. Even on tiny, small-town streets without a soul in sight, you would see the glow of one of these machines. Now, if only they had food vending machines!

Crazy Fashion I love the crazy and wacky outfits people wear in Japan:

Multipurpose Train Stations When is a train station not just a train station? When it’s a Japanese train station. In Japan, train stations aren’t just for trains, they’re also for malls, supermarkets, huge restaurant areas, and office buildings. Talk about using space effectively.

Service Asian countries always have much better hotel service than in the West, but Japan takes it to another level. I left my bags out one day and they were brought to my room. Towels brought up just because they thought I might need extra. At the traditional hotels, my bed mat was set up at dinner and taken away while I had breakfast. Hotel owners wave you good-bye. Everything is done with a bow. Everyone is helpful. American hospitality is great, but even we could learn a thing or ten from the Japanese.

Japanese Onsens I’m not a fan of bathhouses. Sitting around naked with a bunch of people isn’t my thing. I gave the Japanese onsens a try, but there were just too many naked men for me. However, I did venture out when they opened first thing in the morning to have them to myself. I have to admit: sitting in a hot bath with a little waterfall near you is pretty damn relaxing. I want one in my house…when I get a house.

Sake Japanese rice wine is one of my favorite alcoholic drinks. The smooth taste, the fine finish, the fruity flavoring — mmmmm. It makes for the perfect accompaniment to Japanese food. Sake in Japan doesn’t taste better than anywhere else in the world; there’s just more of the good stuff (a fact I took full advantage of!). I especially enjoyed how you could get free sake samples at stores!

High-Tech Toilets Leave it to the Japanese to turn a simple toilet into a technological marvel. There you sit down on a warm seat, while music is playing, and (sorry for getting graphic) have a jet of water come and wash you from the front or back. It’s pretty awesome.

As I watched the sunrise over Mt. Fuji toward the end of my trip, I dreaded leaving Japan. Japan exceeded all of my expectations, and I only scratched its surface. What wonders did I miss? What other secrets does Japan have to offer? From Hokkaido to Okinawa, my mind darted to all the sights on my list I didn’t get to see. I already long to go back. Within a day of leaving, I had withdrawal. Like a bullet train, Japan had sped to the top of my favorite countries list.

Yes,its so wonderful place,I was go to nagoya japan,I never see sakura tree,and this country its so calm,there is no one driver push the horn, and everything doing by the rules,and only japan we can found the name of “kaizen”,and also,I have to go to nagoya castle,and are still natural,I just can say,I have dream to living there one day….

Why does Japan have so many more futuristic things than the U.S.? The vending machines and the toilets look so different compared to what we are used to. It seems like it would be a very cool experience to visit Japan.

Two of my favorites are the vending machines and the toilets – basically anything futuristic. I love that you can get just about ANYTHING in the vending machines and had so much fun picking out different drinks to try as I explored the cities.

Hey Matt, One quick question, what is the best place for money exchange? I am leaving today from India and reach Japan tomorrow. Please, will appreciate a quick answer. Thanks. Your posts and tweets have helped me immensely:)

I’m surprised you didn’t mention the next level of vending machines that are in a few train stations – the touch screen ones! They gradually show you what you can afford as you put in money too.

The next gen ones (there are like 2 in the country now) read the ambient temperature and your height and recommend a drink based on it. If you’re a child in you might like orange juice in summer. If you’re an adult you may like hot green tea in winter, so these ones flash up to draw your attention to them.

Also there is hot food vending machines (it’s basically frozen food and a microwave inside) but they don’t seem to have taken off in a big way. Usually I find them in bowling alleys of all places.

I do wish they’d upgrade the shinkansen’s with wifi too actually. They are cheaper than planes too its worth noting, whereas most other rich countries have a budget airline, Japan doesn’t (maybe a tax law to prevent it at a guess).

Steph! Same as you have a shower all year around, you can enjoy Onsen anytime!!! As for being naked, you should cover yourself (front of you, perhaps) with a middle sized towel (not a big bath towel…) when you walk around the bath tub but I suppose you are suppoed to remove it when you are in the bath . They don’t examine each others’ body so you don’t need to feel super awkward! Just relax!!!

I’ve never really thought much about Japan, but after reading this I really want to visit. I’ve always found Japanese tourists to be lovely and polite people. Japan looks so “futuristic”, it’s definitely going on the bucket list.

I whole heartedly agree about the general politeness, generousness and friendliness of practically all the Japanese we met. More than once we looked a bit lost in a railway station and we’d be approached by someone to help us out. Whether they be a spiky haired punk or an eighty year old geriatric who spoke no English it was very generous of them to point us in the right direction unasked.

Maybe you should move there 😉 My fiance was stationed in Okinawa for two years, and says that the Okinawan people thoroughly dislike the American presence there, and thus aren’t as kind to the Americans who are in the area.

I’ve lived near the US air base in Tokyo (Fussa) and I noticed that many Americans have horrible behavior 🙁 That’s the main reason why some Japanese dislike Americans. Except that, most Japanese like Americans and American stuff.

Japan really is a very unique country and because of most of the mentioned reasons i also put it on my list for my RTW Trip. I’m curious about going to tokyo and diving into a completely different world. This is what makes traveling so cool!

If he have to choose, politeness and friendliness, 2 of the most difficult things to find out of Japan, almost everywhere and every moment.We are sure they are the 2 reasons that explain the rest… The delicate gastronomy, the warmness of onsens and… Their passion for nature, even in huge cities like Tokyo.It is difficult to explain… It has to be experimented!

Nice list, Matt. I guarantee that sushi and sashimi will not be the same for you after you’ve had it in Japan.

The bf/gf service you talk about is one lucrative part of Japan’s second most profitable business (auto industry is number one). It’s almost entirely used by and for Japanese people. Foreigners are really not allowed to see it, yet it makes up a billions of dollars per year industry. I’ve read that some of the top “hosts” and “hostesses” earn up to $100,000 USD per month just keeping salary workers company. It’s crazy!

I’m so happy to hear you fell in LOVE with my country! I just let you know about your pic of SAKE. I am sure you tast some sake(made from rice), but that pic is not Sake, it’s Syocyu, made from Mugi(wheart). Syocyu has many kinds, made from wheart, sweet potato etc. If you haven’t try them, you should tast them!

That’s it! I’m sold – just from the picture of the sushi alone – now thats sushi! The portions are huge! Honestly though, I have always been interested in the Japanese culture, and only hope to visit some day.

You got me sighing about Japan…My 6 year-old nephew is dying to go to Japan (and learn japanese!) and maybe we can take him, I hope.The sights and the people must be lovely, but I admit you got me with sushi and sake 🙂

Great post Matt. I worked for a Japanese company for 12 years and visited Tokyo on average about twice a year. I agree with everything you said however, since leaving the company, I don’t envision ever being able to return; the reason being, the COST! Everything is so ridiculously expensive. I think this should have been shared with the readers especially since many of your readers are on a budget and will not be supplemented by a sponsor!!!!

Wait so you are saying Hiroko is being “unkind” to Matt for choosing to speak the truth? o.0 I think it’s legitimate to say that every country has its list of pros – of which Matt did a fantastic job of compiling here – and cons. Sure Japan’s nice but it also has its fair share of problems like anywhere else! Don’t you think it’s a bit rude and misguided on your part to accuse Hiroko of being “not kind” to the poster, who I’m sure will be more than interested to learn about Japan beyond the superficial “kindness”, “hospitality”, and the “exotic-Asian-Zen” gardens that seem to attract millions of tourists every year?

I completely agree with all of these reasons. My mom is Japanese-American, so I always had wanted to go to Japan. I went this winter and was not disappointed. I LOVED Japan, and I can’t wait to go back!

Nice post Matt! You are absolutely right about the technological achievements of the modern Japanese toilet! haha…Also did you know in some of the washrooms in the restaurants there, the moment you open the door to the washroom there will be some kind of sensor that will trigger the toilet seat to automatically lift up! Now that is technology!

I got back from Japan in April and I had the same experience…I fell in love with the place. I actually had the feeling of being in love when I got home–with all the warning signs…thinking about it all the time, wanting to learn the language. I am going back as soon as I can. And although I am not naive about the state of the human race in any culture, I found the kindness (people also walked out of their way to take me to where I needed to go when I asked directions), the reverence for teachers (I was there teaching psychology), the organization of things like the efficient help available when my plane was late arriving at Narita and I missed my plane to Fukuoka (they had already rebooked everyone on the next flight), the care taken to wrap groceries and gifts, the esthetic, really touching and refreshing. Thanks for sharing.

I just want to say I read all of the comments and want to thank you for them. I am glad I’m not the only one who is obsessed with Japan! I think we should organize a massive “I miss Japan” support group. Who’s in?

Love these photos. I have long since had an obsession with Japan, although I have yet to visit there, ever since I watched my first travel programme about the country when I was younger. Some of the sushi looks more adventurous than your usual California or raw fish roll, but am definitely excited to give it a try!

I moved to Japan nine years ago to teach English for a year. I ended up staying three years. I really enjoyed Japan too and Tokyo has become probably my favorite city.

I like your list as well, although I would remove the hot springs. All the naked, old Japanese men aside, I just couldn’t relax sitting in a pool of near-scalding water. I felt like I was melting away on the spot and actually ended up sitting in the cold pool, which got me a lot of “What’s the crazy foreigner up to now?” looks. Deservedly so, since I was freezing, but it was still more pleasant than being cooked alive.

I’m also not a huge fan of the robo-toilets. Heated seats sound like a good idea and while they are pleasant in the winter, I really started to hate them the rest of the year.

The Japanese people as a whole feel cold much more easily than I do (than most Westerners, really), so they will turn the heated seat all the way up even on days I consider to be sweltering. As a result, you start sweating the second your butt hits the seat and when you come out of the stall, you look like you’ve just completed a days worth of hard labor. I actually started to seek out the squat toilets as a preferable alternative outside the winter months.

Gotta love Japan, I’ve been here 8 years and I’m never planning to go home. You listed my favourite things but missed out the great mountain climbing, the fun nightlife and how hot the chicks are. On a side note, your blog design is flippin’ fantastic my man, what’s the name of the font that you used for this page? It’s one of the best-looking blogs I’ve ever seen (and I’m an artist). Congrats for that.

Instead of mentioning host clubs I would put in incredibly awesome movie theatres. They give you goodies, pamphlets, shirts etc. In America you just go in, buy your overpriced popcorn and walk out. In Japan going to a movie is like a totally different experience.

Also I have to disagree on the politeness. In Harajuku a lot of the people are rude because they see so many foreigners they just assume all of us are obnoxious idiots and treat us horribly. I got some pretty awful service there when I stopped to have lunch even though I tried my best to order and speak in Japanese ._.

I know this is an old post but I love reading about other peoples experiences of Japan. I have lived there for two years now and completely agree with everything you’ve written. Just so you know, there are food vending machines everywhere, some even have hot food. You’ll have to look out for them on your next trip 😉

Its my dream to visit japan…it all started with “Anime” and “Manga” for me. Watching naruto, bleach and fairy tail in japanese with english subs. I fell in love with the language itself. Arigatou gozaimasu for thank you, ohayo for good morning and Itadakimasu before meals.It is so much fun. All the things matt mentioned above, i wanna try it all and much more. Japan skiddate…:)

This is a great post. I recently just got back from Japan (withdrawals making me read/buy/eat everything Japanese) and love it for every reason you’ve listed and more. I’m already planning my next trip which will fall hopefully within the next 6 months.

If you haven’t been to Japan, go! It’s one of the most amazing cultures I’ve ever experience and it will change your life. 🙂

One of the things that amazed me was that you could be in the middle of nowhere and there would be vending machines to quench your thirst. And they were never broken or vandalized. Can you imagine that in any American city? I can’t wait to go back. I plan on going on a K-ON! pilgrimage as a side trip!

Matt, I completely agree with you!! I went to Japan in 1997 and I LOVED it!! I agree with everything you’ve listed, and the majority of comments!! I’m going back in October and I cannot wait. I’ll travel a lot, meet some friends and do a few touristy places like Disney, Universal Studios and the Ghibli Museum, as well as temples, shrines, parks, museums and zoos. I’m so excited, I want to go NOW and yep, I’ll have the exact withdrawls you did when I leave again. One thing you didn’t mention was the Ryokans – Japanese style inns!! They are cheap to stay in too, half the price of the cheapest motel I could find!! Most include breakfast and some include dinner. I’ll be eating at convenience stores and 100 Yen stores will become my best friend!! I love sushi and ramen, excited to try sake… All in all, I’m over the moon excited!! I’m so glad you had an amazing time, and like you, I’m glad I’m not the only one obsessed with Japan. The people are so kind, friendly and helpful!! I’d love to live there someday!!

I have been living in Japan for over a year now but next year will be my last year (we will move back to U.S. ugh) and I felt that I will be super depressed when I move out. There’s really more to explore and I actually never seen the girlfriend/boyfriend service yet HAHA! I will surely miss this country. I wish I can live here forever!

Hey Matt! I love reading your blog. It’s easy-reading and page turning. And especially in this Asian section you wrote a lot about Japan which is my fav country too. Fyi, Japan has food vending machine too. I bought choco bread and even french fries in a Japanese vending machine while I was in Japan around 2012. And they were warm! Maybe you’ll find more vending machine selling beverages in the street. But, some hotels in Japan have food vending machine too. You should try them in your next visit to Japan 🙂

I went to Japan at Easter to work on the Tokyo sevens rugby and was blown away by exactly what Matt highlighted above. Just an incredible country, amazing culture and a place I will endeavour to visit as often as possible. Simply magical.

My first visit to Japan was in 1991–a quick three-week stay after my brother’s wedding in nearby Seoul, Korea. A friend of his from Tokyo flew in, and invited me to visit. I stayed a week in Tokyo, then traveled on my own to Kyoto and neighboring cities.

To say I fell in love with Japan would be a serious understatement.

I’m a bit older than most of your readers, and have visited over 60 countries in what has been collectively some 6 1/2 years of travel. After that first trip to Asia (Korea, Thailand, Japan) I decided to plan on a longer-term voyage: about a year. And much of it would center on Japan.

So, upon my return, I quickly enrolled in a local university’s Advanced & Accelerated Language program — in Japanese. I studied 3-6 hours a day, using recordings, films, and books. I contracted a Japanese friend from the gym for tutoring twice a week. When I returned, in ’94, I was actually conversant; I could carry on a rudimentary conversation, inquire about lodging or food, simply get around.

Every hour of study gave me a hundred-fold return on my investment. I usually hitch-hike when I travel (I even hitched across the Sahara),and Japan was no exception. Everyone picked me up: families, truckers, women. Twice I was treated to a hotel room; I ate countless meals, courtesy of my rides and people I’d met on the street, and at least a dozen times I was invited to stay with people in their homes — once for a week, and once for a month, courtesy of a Buddhist monk (and golf pro; Japan is a complicated place) I’d met, in all places, on a golf course in Kyushu.

My joys in travel are experiential: cities are interesting, but people rock. I spent much time just hitching around the southern islands, finding little minshuku (inns) when I needed a place to stay, eating at local places. And, while places like Mali, southern France, the west coast of Ireland and many others are memorable, few of my travels have been so utterly delightful as that long summer in Japan.

I lived there for a year while in the military and if not for private matters in the U. S. I probably wouldn\’t have left. I\’m returning this winter with family. I know it\’ll be cold but it\’s cheaper to travel then.

The bf/gf service is interesting to hear. When I was there I was not paid but given gifts to hang with a guy. Never knew it was an actual thing. I was told because it was cool to be with a black American who loved to party. Never tried anything sexual, just picked me up a few times a week and took me to different functions. I also got paid to be a club hopper. Basically, I brought people in the club and got them on the dance floor 100US a night for this back in 93.

I\’m sure the night life has changed and I won\’t get to take my family up Mt.Fuji during my visit but I\’m excited to go back. I wish I still had contact with the friends I made but I\’m sure I\’ll make new ones.

Really nice article! I gonna be living in Japan for half a year and as far as I´ve experienced that country till now, I can agree in almost all of your points. Japan is such an exciting, interesting culture and above all it´s just such different than everything else. It´s a unique journey to come here, to see all those ancient shrines and temples, the gardens and people walking round in kimonos. And then there´s the high-tech on the other side, that huge skyscrapers and traffic at Shibuya crossing in Tokyo, Akihabara, Roppongi….I´m just lucky that I can see now everything what I dreamed of.

The politeness of the people you told about is outstanding and I love how everything here is clean and organized. You really stand out from the crowd as a Westerner but you get help everywhere here if you ask for it. I also adore Washoku, Japanese food, espially tempura, maki and onigiri, that little rice balls with different flavours you get in every convenience market.

Yes, you´re right about the vending machines, you see them literally around every corner you go. It´s fun seeing them in the strangest places (I recently found one in a park in the middle of nowhere). I´m always wondering who´s always refilling them and how many people that have to be all over the country.

I just saw a little part of that what I wanna see in Japan, but I already fell in love with it.

I decided to write blog about my experiences in Japan and I hope that it will be one day as wonderful as yours.

I just got back in the Philippines from Japan! My 2 week experience made me decide I want to go back and live there. I stayed in Tokyo and I have tried and experienced everything you mentioned in 2 weeks except bf/gf service! But you forgot about this, bikes. They are everywhere, people are using bicycle even with grceries and running errands with kids backriding! I will definitely live there! See you soon Tokyo Japan!

Hey everyone! Due to the age of this post and the difficulty in moderating lots of posts spam, comments here have been turned off. If you would like to continue the discussion, head over to the forums at http://forums.nomadicmatt.com and chat there! I post frequently and reply to threads on the boards! See ya there! Thanks! – Matt